*1966 The [[w:Cultural Revolution|Cultural Revolution]] almost totally destroyed the young [[Church of China|Chinese Orthodox Church]]; the ''[[w:Index Librorum Prohibitorum|Index Librorum Prohibitorum]]'' ("List of Prohibited Books") is formally abolished on 14 June by Pope Paul VI.

*1966 The [[w:Cultural Revolution|Cultural Revolution]] almost totally destroyed the young [[Church of China|Chinese Orthodox Church]]; the ''[[w:Index Librorum Prohibitorum|Index Librorum Prohibitorum]]'' ("List of Prohibited Books") is formally abolished on 14 June by Pope Paul VI.

*1967 [[Macedonian Orthodox Church |Church of Macedonia]] unilaterally declares its [[autocephaly]], making it independent of the [[Church of Serbia]] (as yet unrecognized); Albania is declared an atheist state, closing all religious institutions and forbiding any religious practices.

*1967 [[Macedonian Orthodox Church |Church of Macedonia]] unilaterally declares its [[autocephaly]], making it independent of the [[Church of Serbia]] (as yet unrecognized); Albania is declared an atheist state, closing all religious institutions and forbiding any religious practices.

*1968 Visit to [[Patriarchate of Alexandria]] by Vatican representatives, who give Patr. [[Nicholas (Valeropoulos) VI of Alexandria|Nicholas VI]] a part of the relics of [[Apostle Mark|St Mark]] from Venice, on behalf of Pope [[Paul VI of Rome|Paul VI]]; fourth Pan-Orthodox Conference in Chambesy, Switzerland.

*1968-71 Millions of Christians, Muslims, Jews and others witness apparitions of the [[Theotokos|Virgin Mary]] many times over a three year period over the Coptic Orthodox Church of St. Mary at [[Zeitun]], Cairo, recognized as authentic by the [[Church of Alexandria (Coptic)|Coptic Orthodox Church]] and other churches.

*1968-71 Millions of Christians, Muslims, Jews and others witness apparitions of the [[Theotokos|Virgin Mary]] many times over a three year period over the Coptic Orthodox Church of St. Mary at [[Zeitun]], Cairo, recognized as authentic by the [[Church of Alexandria (Coptic)|Coptic Orthodox Church]] and other churches.

*1969 Metr. [[Philaret (Voznesensky) of New York]] ([[ROCOR]]) issues the first of a series of "Sorrowful Epistles" (1969,1971,1975) to the primates of the local Orthodox Churches, condemning forays into [[ecumenism]].

*1969 Metr. [[Philaret (Voznesensky) of New York]] ([[ROCOR]]) issues the first of a series of "Sorrowful Epistles" (1969,1971,1975) to the primates of the local Orthodox Churches, condemning forays into [[ecumenism]].

The History of the Church is a vital part of the Orthodox Christian faith. Orthodox Christians are defined significantly by their continuity with all those who have gone before, those who first received and preached the truth of Jesus Christ to the world, those who helped to formulate the expression and worship of our faith, and those who continue to move forward in the unchanging yet ever-dynamic Holy Tradition of the Orthodox Church.

1929 Papal Bull Cum data fuerit regulates Uniate clergy in the US, mandating celibacy, resulting in the return of several parishes back to Orthodoxy in 1938; kingdom of Italy and Papacy ratify Lateran Treaty, recognizing sovereignty of Papacy within the new state of the Vatican City; "Russicum" (Russian College or 'College of St. Therese') founded in Vatican City by Pope Pius XI and run by the Jesuits; Russian Fraternity of Saint Irenee in France celebrates Western Rite.

1934 HieromartyrJohn (Pommers) of Riga; episcopal consecration of John Maximovitch; Daniel William Alexander travels to Kenya, establishing African Orthodox Church led by Arthur Gathuna; clergy opposing Nazi regime in Germany have homes raided by secret police.

1935 Critical edition of Septuagint published in Gottingen Germany by Alfred Rahlfs at the Septuaginta-Unternehmens (Institute); Old Calendar Church is formed when three bishops declared their separation from the official Church of Greece stating that the calendar change was a schismatic act.

1939 Galicia is divided as Poland gets partitioned between the German Empire and Soviet Union approximately along the Curzon Line, so that Western Galicia goes to the German Empire, and Eastern Galicia is affiliated with Soviet Ukraine.

1943 Church of Russia recognizes autocephaly of Church of Georgia; first constitution of the African Orthodox Church in East Africa signed by Reuben Spartas and Arthur Gathuna; Joseph Stalin meets with hierarchs of Russian Orthodox Church to establish a "patriotic union," granting concessions to the church, including the gathering of the holy synod and the election of Sergius I as patriarch of Moscow.

1943-44 Hundreds of Orthodox priests of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church eliminated, tortured and drowned by Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists - Ukrainian Rebel Army, aided by Uniate Metr. Josyf Slipyj who was a spiritual leader of Nazi military units that were later condemned by the Nuremberg tribunal, and who was imprisoned by Soviet authorities for aiding the UPA.

1945-58 In the post-war era the official organization of the Church of Russia was greatly expanded (although individual members of the clergy were occasionally arrested and exiled), with the number of open churches reaching ca. 25,000.

1946 Reuben Spartas of the African Orthodox Church visits Alexandria; Holy Synod of the Church of Alexandria officially recognizes and accepts the African Greek Orthodox Church in Kenya and Uganda; state-sponsored synod is held at Lviv, Ukraine in March, which officially dissolves the Union of Brest-Litovsk and integrates the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church into the Russian Orthodox Church, Soviet authorities arresting resisters or deporting them to Siberia; first post-war ROCOR Council of Bishops is convened in Munich.

1947 Dead Sea Scrolls discovered near Qumran in Egypt, pre-dating the Masoretic text by about a millenium, many fragments of which agree with the Septuagint version of the Bible over and against the Masoretic Text, proving that many of the variants in the Greek were also present in ancient Hebrew manuscripts; death of Alexei Kabalyiuk, who played a major role in reviving Orthodoxy in Transcarpathia in the early 20th century.

1949 Soviet authorities revoke the Union of Uzhhorod of 1646, creating the Orthodox Eparchy of Mukachiv-Uzhhorod, under the Patriarch of Moscow; Communist takeover of China leads to oppression of religious groups.

1950 Pope Pius XII proclaims the Bodily Assumption of the Virgin Mary as a dogma; Symeon (Du) is consecrated Bishop of Tianjin in July, becoming the first Chinese Orthodox bishop, transferred in September to be Bishop of Shanghai (1950-1965).

1952 New Monastery of Panagia Soumela built in the village of Kastania, in Macedonia, Greece, housing the wonderworking icon of Panagia Soumela, becoming a center of religious pilgrimage; Dr. Carl Jung publishes his Answer to Job, addressing the 'problem of evil'; the Revised Amharic Bible (H.I.M. Haile Sellassie I Authorized Royal Amharic Bible) is produced under the patronage of Emperor Haile Selassie, being presented to him on April 19th, 1952, and first published in 1961.

1958 Patr. of Antioch adopts provisions of Russian synods of 1879 and 1907 for use by Western Rite in America ; Western Orthodox Church of France comes under Abp. John Maximovitch, who authorizes the use of the restored Gallican rite.

1962-1965 Second Vatican Council held in Rome, initiating major liturgical and theological reforms for the Roman Catholic Church, including restriction of ancient Tridentine Mass and introduction of the Novus Ordo.

1967 Church of Macedonia unilaterally declares its autocephaly, making it independent of the Church of Serbia (as yet unrecognized); Albania is declared an atheist state, closing all religious institutions and forbiding any religious practices.

1968-71 Millions of Christians, Muslims, Jews and others witness apparitions of the Virgin Mary many times over a three year period over the Coptic Orthodox Church of St. Mary at Zeitun, Cairo, recognized as authentic by the Coptic Orthodox Church and other churches.

1975 Division in the Antiochian church in North America overcome by the uniting of the two Antiochian archdioceses into one by Metr. Philip (Saliba) of New York and Abp. Michael (Shaheen) of Toledo; Joint Commission of Orthodox and Old Catholic theologians is established.

1976 First Pre-Synodal Pan-Orthodox Conference at Orthodox Centre of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Chambesy, Switzerland; the first phase of the Anglican-Orthodox dialogue was concluded by the publication of The Moscow Agreed Statement; the General Convention of the Episcopal Church of the USA (ECUSA) approves ordination of women to all three orders: bishop, priest, and deacon.

1980 Orthodox-Roman Catholic Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue, 1st plenary, met in Patmos and Rhodes; Greek priest-monk Fr. Athanasios Anthides travelled to India to begin a systematic Orthodox Mission in the rural area of Arambah, in West Bengal; Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician Bob Marley (+1981) is baptized by Abp. Abuna Yesehaq of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Kingston, Jamaica, on November 4, 1980.

1981 Lutheran-Orthodox Joint Commission meets for the first time in Espoo, Finland.

1982 Orthodox-Roman Catholic Joint Commission publishes in Munich first official common document, "The Mystery of the Church and of the Eucharist in Light of the Mystery of the Holy Trinity"; second Pre-Synodal Pan-Orthodox Conference in Chambesy, Switzerland; formal founding of Makarios III Patriarchal Seminary in Nairobi, Kenya.

1984 Orthodox-Roman Catholic Joint Commission, 3rd plenary, meets in Khania, Crete; the second phase of the Anglican-Orthodox dialogue was concluded with the publication of The Dublin Agreed Statement; neomartyr Bp. Paul (de Ballester-Convallier) of Nazianzus.

1988 1000th anniversary of Orthodoxy in Russia; Orthodox-Roman Catholic Joint Commission publishes common document "The Sacrament of Order in the Sacramental Structure of the Church"; Indonesian Muslim convert to Orthodoxy Fr. Daniel Byantoro begins his mission in Indonesia, sparking the rebirth of Orthodoxy there; Mount Athos is designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

1989 Church of Constantinople recognizes autocephaly of the Church of Georgia; Elder Ephraim begins founding Athonite-style monasteries in North America; Lutheran-Orthodox Joint Commission issues statement "The Canon and the Inspiration of the Holy Scripture"; glorification in Russia of Tikhon of Moscow; Uniate Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church legalized, with Greek Catholics beginning seizure of property from Russian Orthodox Church, which they claimed as theirs prior to the synod of 1946; the third phase of the Anglican-Orthodox dialogue began, when the commission was re-constituted as The International Commission for Anglican-Orthodox Theological Dialogue (ICAOTD), under the chairmanship of Metr. John of Pergamon and Bp. Henry Hill (succeeded in 1990 by Bp. Mark Dyer); Orthodox-Oriental Orthodox Joint Commission adopts the first Agreed Statement on Christology, at a historic meeting at the Anba Bishoy Monastery, Egypt from June 20-24, 1989.

Notes

Some of these dates are necessarily a bit vague, as records for some periods are particularly difficult to piece together accurately.

The division of Church History into separate eras as done here will always be to some extent arbitrary, though it was attempted to group periods according to major watershed events.

This timeline is necessarily biased toward the history of the Orthodox Church, though a number of non-Orthodox or purely political events are mentioned for their importance in history related to Orthodoxy or for reference.